How bad is your Surfer's Ear (exostosis)?

[Roundhouse]

I just started having tinnitus too. They wife and I were arguing over how loud the crickets were outside the bedroom a couple of weeks ago. The crickets are still there, everywhere I go. Everyone says it will turn into white noise but right now it is a PITA. Last thing I expected. Hell getting old....

[Zooport]

White noise is also the key for some relief.  Sleep with a white noise generator on and it masks the tinnitus to where you don't really hear it.  Available at Sharper Image and other online retailers.  Helps me tremendously.

There is actually a therapy where they use white noise to desensitize your brain to your tinnitus.  Not sure how well it works, never tried.  

[surfercook]

I'm 55 and have had ongoing exostosis for like 20 years now. Been through it all. Days of blockage and tinnitus, ear drops(Debrox, HydroPerox, Ciprodex), multiple doctors visits which involved digging and flushing out ear wax (painful and uncomfortable procedures), and three canal plasties over the years. The plasties def helped alot and consisted of being put under, then they make an incision to the canal wall, peel back the skin, and burr down the boney growth. Pretty painful when you come to and once it was so bad they gave me Darvon which knocked me out for like 45 mins. recovery time was around 5-7 days.  Now I ALWAYS plug up w/silicone ear plugs (Macs Pillow Softs). I occasionally get blockage even plugging up. Depends on how long I'm in the surf and how many sessions I'm putting in over the course of a swell.
  Not sure about the goofy/reg thing as both ears block up. my ears are BAD. Surfers ear is BAD if left untreated and no pugs are being used.

[starman]

Nice article on the subject;

http://www.deepzine.com/site/component/content/article/3-tidelines/83-tidelines-plug-in

[SeaMe]

Everyone says it will turn into white noise....

That's not been my experience.  I've had to invest in a bunch of ambient nature sound albums, otherwise I can't  sleep.

[Zooport]

Everyone says it will turn into white noise....

That's not been my experience.   I've had to invest in a bunch of ambient nature sound albums, otherwise I can't  sleep.

Same here except white noise works best for me.  No matter what, it sucks.  Plenty of worse things one could have though, I suppose. 

[trashinwb]

A friend of mine had his ears done by a specialist in Santa Cruz (we're from NJ) on what will be two years ago in February and had what could be considered great success. He was over 95% blocked and he's still not 40.

I'm really bad in my right ear. Not so bad, but still bad in the left. I see an ENT specialist quarterly to maintain what little canal I have left. He recommends I go to Santa Cruz sooner than later also.
Our water is only above 60 for probably 4 1/2  months a year. Most of the time it's in the mid to upper 40's to low 50's.

I now use doc's pro plugs and a hood when air and water temps are below say 55.  Most of the time. The plugs more so than the hood.

[sup_surf_giant]

A friend of mine had his ears done by a specialist in Santa Cruz (we're from NJ) on what will be two years ago in February and had what could be considered great success. He was over 95% blocked and he's still not 40.

I'm really bad in my right ear. Not so bad, but still bad in the left. I see an ENT specialist quarterly to maintain what little canal I have left. He recommends I go to Santa Cruz sooner than later also.
Our water is only above 60 for probably 4 1/2  months a year. Most of the time it's in the mid to upper 40's to low 50's.

I now use doc's pro plugs and a hood when air and water temps are below say 55.  Most of the time. The plugs more so than the hood.

Doc's Pro plugs Pop out of my ears. Using the putty these days.

[Zooport]

A friend of mine had his ears done by a specialist in Santa Cruz (we're from NJ) on what will be two years ago in February and had what could be considered great success. He was over 95% blocked and he's still not 40.

I'm really bad in my right ear. Not so bad, but still bad in the left. I see an ENT specialist quarterly to maintain what little canal I have left. He recommends I go to Santa Cruz sooner than later also.
Our water is only above 60 for probably 4 1/2  months a year. Most of the time it's in the mid to upper 40's to low 50's.

I now use doc's pro plugs and a hood when air and water temps are below say 55.  Most of the time. The plugs more so than the hood.

Are you goofy foot or regular foot?

[1tuberider]

I now use doc's pro plugs and a hood when air and water temps are below say 55.  Most of the time. The plugs more so than the hood.

I don't want to sound like I am telling you what to do but I wear the plugs 100% of the time. The growth stops when you don't expose yourself. Even when the water is to warm for a hood I wear plugs. They may not stay in 100% of the time but exposure is seriously reduced.

[Zooport]

Ear plugs suck.  I hate going out with friends and having difficulty hearing what is said.  Everyone should wear them though.  Don't mess with your hearing, you will miss it if you lose even part of it.  

Even if you have had the operation, exostosis will return if you don't wear plugs.  My doc said that it returns more quickly the second time.  I had the surgery in 2009 and just had them looked at.  Doc said no sign of it at all.  That's a relief.  I don't think I have surfed or SUSed even one time without plugs since 2009.

[OUTSIDEWAVE]

60% closed in one 40% in the other  have to turn the tv up  now  and I hear the surgery  is really a ______  .  no surfing for 6 months so I am told so I will it put off as long as forever.

 I hear ( no pun intended) that they make pretty good hearing aids now

My uncle used to have  them and he would always turn them down when his wife started in The he  would laugh and say Honey I can't  hear you.

[surfercook]

My recovery period was never more than 10 days after the canal plasties, OUTSIDEWAVE  . Had three of em so far. Wearing plugs diligently is a MUST.

[supthecreek]

Swim team from early childhood... surfing 50 years... a lifetime of ear infections, blockage, and deafness for prolonged times. (4 to 5 months a year)

Not usually a problem in winter.... because of hoods... but every summer was a constant battle.

I found that since wearing the stupid looking truckers cap with chinstrap (covers the ears)... no more problems. I don't ever wear earplugs anymore... the truckers cap and hood are enough. I think protection from the wind is the main reason they have helped.

Q ~ Are you spending lots of money on Doctors & prescriptions for ear infections ~(my question mark is frozen)

A ~ I used to... now, I just put a dab of Neosporin on a Q tip and gently swab my ear if it feels tender... next day, I'm good as new... not ONE infection since I started doing this two years ago... not one day of hearing blockage.  and... not one penny to a Doctor of Pharmacist

[surfercook]

Had the procedure. Canal was almost closed but my hearing was good because after three visits to the ENT all the wax had been yanked/sucked/flushed out. But the MRI imaging and actual physical inspection revealed a severely enlarged stosis. Both ears need the op but only one at a time can be done. The right was worse that the left so I went w/that one. I thought it was a simple canal plasty but after reviewing the print outs from discharge I see it was a tympanoplasty/mastoidectomy. I think the more advanced terminology is because this time the doctors went in from behind the ear for a more complete bone removal. my previous procedures were from the entrance of the canal. probably why ther condition kept returning. At least that's what my doctor told me. Probably gonna get the left ear done same time next yr.
Here are the pics in a facebook album and a flicker album.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152436763597682.1073741904.785257681&type=1&l=495c4a5b41
https://www.flickr.com/photos/42058618@N05/sets/72157645260196192/